Forming press with improved work handling apparatus



Dec. 16, 1969 H. T. BURKE ETAL 3,483,726

FORMING PRESS WITH IMPROVED WORK HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 30. 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 HARRY T. BURKE, 98 98 ROBERT A. HELRIGEL a BY JAMES A. LEWIS fieyazfldm a M ATTORN EYS 4 INVENTORS.

Dec. 16, 1969 BURKE ETAL FORMING PRESS WITH IMPROVED WORK HANDLING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 30, 1966 INVENTORS.

FIG. 3

S a U w 1|. 0 ER KL$ W UH T mmm R M 7 AOA I H R u W. BM

Dec. 16, 1969 B RK ETAL 3,483,726

ORMING PRESS WITH IMPROVED WORK HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 30, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG.4

I NVEN TORS HARRY T BURKE ATTORNEYS Dec. 16, 1969 H, BURKE ET AL 3,483,726

FORMING PRESS WITH IMPROVED WORK HANDLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 30, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I l [l\ i I25 I34 I l g 1 :25 I j BY Meqwjdmy 8 8 ATTO R EYS United States Patent 3,483,726 FQRMING PRESS WITH IMPROVED WORK HANDLING APIARATUS Harry T. Burke, Robert A. I-Ielrigel, and James A. Lewis, Hastings, Mich, assignors to E. W. Bliss Company, Canton, Dhio, a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 30, 1956, Ser. No. 576,128 Int. Cl. B21d 45/00; B213 11/00 11.5. Cl. 72-427 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF TIE DISCLOSURE -wedge members for selectively shifting the abutment member away from the die.

This invention is directed to the press art, and more particularly to an improved forming press.

The invention is particularly applicable for forming metal and will be described with particular reference thereto; however, it is appreciated the invention is capable of broader application and could be used for forming or pressing a variety of materials.

In general, presses used in high production forming of metal comprise a reciprocably driven ram and a cooperating die. Means are provided to sequentially feed a workpiece between the ram and the die, and to discharge it after it has been formed. The means used to perform the feed and discharge function are of a variety of types, and included among these is the dial type.

Most dial type feed devices comprise an intermittently rotated disc or dial provided with a plurality of work receiving openings. The workpieces to be formed are deposited into the openings, and the dial is rotated to a position where one of the workpieces is delivered to the die. The ram is then reciprocated through the dial opening and into the die thus forming the previously deposited workpiece. Subsequently, the ram is withdrawn and means actuated to eject or lift the formed workpiece from the die back up to the same opening in the dial. Rotation of the dial then removes the formed workpiece from between the ram and die and delivers it to a position where it can be removed from the dial. Simultaneously, another opening in the dial delivers a new workpiece to the die.

As can be seen, since the ram is reciprocated through the openings in the dial, the movement of the dial must be properly coordinated with the movement of the ram. Further, the means used to lift the formed workpiece from the die up to the dial openings must be capable of exerting a high uniform force, and should be capable of rapid, fine adjustment so that it can be used with different size dies and workpieces.

In the past, the means used to drive the dial and co ordinate its movement with the ram have been complicated systems comprised of a plurality of ratchet and pawl actuating levers interconnected with one another and the press drive. Likewise, the means used to lift the workpiece from the die have generally comprised me chanically driven lift-out plungers. Such mechanically driven plungers have generally provide satisfactory when the force they are required to exert is relatively small. However, when they are designed to exert a large force 3,483,725 Patented Dec. 16, 1969 their drives become quite bulky and complicated. Additionally, these mechanical drives generally do not exert a uniform pressure and cannot be readily adjusted to vary the stroke of the lift-out plunger.

The present invention overcomes the above problems and provides a simplified drive arrangement for the feed dial and an improvide lift-out arrangement which can be readily' adjusted.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an improved means is provided for driving the feed dial of a forming press intermittently in a first direction. These means include a slide member positioned adjacent the dial and reciprocable along a line between first and second positions. The slide member carries a first pawl means for rotating the dial in the first direction when the silde member is moved from its first to its second position. A second pawl means is provided for preventing movement of the dial in the first direction, and lever means directly interconnect the slide member and the second pawl means for moving the second pawl means to a position permitting movement of the dial in the first direction when the slide member is in its first position.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention improved means are provided for adjusting the length of the stroke of the lift-out piston of a forming press having a ram and a cooperating die. These means comprise an abutment member positioned between the piston and the die and means for selectively moving the abutment member toward and away from the die.

An object of the present invention is to provide a forming press having a simplified means for feeding workpieces thereto.

Another object is to provide a press having an improved lift-out piston arrangement.

A further object is to provide a forming press having a lift-out piston that can be readily adjusted to limit the length of its stroke.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a forming press having a lift-out piston capable of producing a uniform lift-out force.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description used to illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention as read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the press of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view taken on line 22 of FIGURE 1 and showing the dial feed arrangement;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged view taken on line 44 of FIGURE 1 with a portion broken away to show more clearly certain of the details of the lift-out piston stroke adjusting drive;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5--5 of FIGURE 4 and showing in detail the lift-out piston and the means used to regulate its stroke;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken on line 66 of FIGURE 5.

Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for the purpose of illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention only and not for the purpose of limiting same, FIGURE 1 shows the overall arrangement of press A, comprising frame B, drive assembly C, slide assembly D, dial feed assembly E, and lift-out or knockout piston assembly F.

In general, frame B is a conventional four piece frame comprised of a bed 10, a pair of uprights 12, and a crown 14. Vertically extending pre-shrunk rods 16 serve to hold the frame members together.

Carried by crown member 14 is a variable speed drive assembly B. Drive assembly B forms no part of the present invention and could be of any of the types normally used. The drive assembly shown comprises a motor 18 connected through a belt and gear train with a flywheel, which is connected by an air operated clutch to a rotary crank which serves to drive the press slide member 20 through a connecting rod 19.

Upper slide assembly D is mounted for reciprocation in guides 22 carried on uprights 12. A ram 25 is carried on the lower surface of slide 20 and would be of a size and configuration to cooperate with a die 81 carried on press bed 10. As shown in FIGURE 3, die 81 is carried in die pot 74. A lift-out pad 77 is carried in die pot 74 and has an actuating rod 70 connected thereto and extending from the bottom of pad 77. The actual configuration and arrangement of die 81 is not material to the invention.

Also mounted on press bed 10 is dial feed assembly E. As best shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, this assembly comprises a circular dial member 38 provided with a plurality of workpiece receiving openings 32. The dial is mounted for counterclockwise rotation on a dial support base 38 which is carried on the press bolster 42. Dial is mounted for rotation on dial support base 38 by a circular plate 34 connected to the support base 38 by a plurality of bolts 36. A wear plate 40 is also carried in the dial support base 38. This wear plate provides a hardened surface along which the workpieces are moved by the rotation of the dial. Positioned around the oiiter periphery of dial 30 are a plurality of hardened inserts 44. These inserts provide notches which are engaged by the various drive and locking pawls used to give dial 30 the necessary intermittent motion, and to hold it stationary during the press stroke.

The means used to rotate dial 30 comprise a slide member 46 which is mounted for horizontal reciprocation in a guide member 56. A drive pawl 48 is pivotally carried on the under surface of slide 46 and is biased in a counterclockwise direction into engagement with the dial by a spring loaded pin 52 carried in member connected to the under surface of the right hand end of slide 46.

The guide member 56 is connected to the rearwardly extending legs of pawl support base 38 by a plurality of screws or bolts 58. As best shown in FIGURE 3, guide 56 has an inclined s'ide guide surface 59 formed internally thereof. Slide member 46 has a corresponding surface adapted to be received on slide surface 59 and retained thereon by a pair of plates 54 which close he front of guide 56 and hold slide 46 snugly against surface 59.

Also mounted on support base 38 is a locking pawl 66 which is biased into engagement with dial 30 by a spring barrel 68 having an outwardly extending plunger 69. Pawl 66 serves to prevent undesired rotation of dial 30 in a counterclockwise direction. However, novel means are provided to selectively release pawl 66 in response to certain movements of drive slide 46. These means comprise a lever 62 pivotally mounted from arm 60 formed on the right end of guide '56. One end of lever 62 contacts the upper end of locking pawl 66 while the other end carries a cam follower 64 which engages a camming surface or track 53 formed on member 50. As can be seen, the locking pawl is normally forced into engagement with the notched openings formed by inserts 44 in the periphery of the dial. However, when slide member 46 is reciprocated to the right into the position shown, the cam follower 64 of lever 62 causes lever 62 to move in a clockwise direction and force locking pawl 66 out of engagement with the dial wheel. Subsequently, when slide member 46 is reciprocated to the left, the drive pawl 48 forces the dial to move in a counterclockwise direction. When the slide has moved to a position at which cam follower 64 is in engagement with the inclined portion of camming surface 53, the locking pawl is forced back into contact with the rim of the dial wheel by plunger 69 of spring barrel 68. The dial can continue to rotate until the next notch moves into a position where it is engaged by the locking pawl 66. This prevents further counterclockwise movement of the dial. Positioned on the left hand side of dial support base 38 is a backing pawl 70. This pawl is biased in a counterclockwise direction by a spring barrel 72. As can be seen, backing pawl 70 permits counterclockwise movement of the dial but prevents any clockwise movement. Thus, as the drive slide is reciprocated to the right, the dial is held against movement in either direction by backing awl 70 and locking pawl 66. However, as previously noted, as drive slide 46 approaches the end of its stroke to the right, locking pawl 66 is again released and the dial can again move in the counterc'ockwise directions.

The means used to reciprocate drive slide 46 in timed relationship with the movement of press slide 20 comprises a double ended crank arm 88 connected by a link 82 to a raised portion 84- formed on the left hand end of the slide 46. Crank is oscilliated by a vertically eX- tending rod 86 which is connected to a cam follower 88 driven by a cam 87 carried on the left end of the press crank shaft 17.

In view of the above, it can be seen that dial 30 is driven intermittently in timed relationship with the movement of the upper press slide 20 to deliver the workpieces to the die opening 75 of die pot 74. After the ram has been actuated downwardly and the workpiece formed in the die 81, means are actuated to drive lift-out pad 77 and its actuating rod 79 upwardly to lift the workpieces up to the dial. Subsequent rotation of the dial causes the formed workpiece to be taken away and a new workpiece delivered to the die.

The means used to drive lift-out pad 77 upwardly comprise a hydraulic lift-out assembly F. As best shown in FIGURE 4, this assembly comprises a shaft or plunger 93 carried on the upper end of piston 98 mounted for reciprocation in cylinder 92. The piston and cylinder are supported by a plate 94 which is carried from press bed 10 by bolts or threaded rods 96 and nuts 98.

The lower end of cylinder 92 is closed by a closure plate 100. This plate is retained in the end of the cylinder by a split ring 102 and a retainer plate 104 connected to the closure plate 108 by screws 106. Piston is sealed where it passes through the upper end of cylinder 92 by packing 110 and a gland ring 108 connected to the upper end of the cylinder by studs 109. Piston rings 112 seal the piston 90 relative to the inner wall of the cylinder 92 and divide the cylinder into two chambers 113 and 115. The piston is caused to be reciprocated in the cylinder by hydraulic fluid being selectively supplied to lines or openings 114 and 116 which communicate with chambers 113 and respectively. The supply of hydraulic fluid to these chambers is coordinated with the movements of the press slide by an electrical interlock system not shown.

Means are provided to adjust the upward movement of the piston 90 and plunger 93 so that various size dies and worpieces can be used in die pot 74. These means comprise an adjustable stop assembly 120. As shown in FIGURE 3, this assembly comprises an abutment member 126 which is slidably carried by four rods 128 which extend downwardly from plate 122 carried on the undersurface of top portion of press bed 10. Rods 128 extend through openings formed in the outer corners of the abutment member. The member is biased upwardly on the rods by springs 130 retained on the rods by nuts 132. Also provided are a pair of guide blocks 134 and 136 which assist in guiding abutment member 126.

The means to adjust member 126 vertically comprise a U-shaped wedge member 124 positioned between plate 122 and a pair of wedge portions 127 formed on the top surface of abutment member 126.

As can be seen, horizontal movement of wedge 124 will cause abutment member 126 to be moved vertically. By adjusting the position of upper wedge 124, the vertical position of abutment member 126 is varried, and the upper limit of movement for piston 99 and plunger 93 conveniently adjusted. The means used to adjust the wedge 124 comprise a threaded rod 138. This rod engages a nut 140 held against rotation in an opening formed in the wedge 124. A shoulder 142 is formed on rod 138. This shoulder contacts a thrust nut 144 carried in guide block 136. Right hand portion 146 of rod 138 extends through guide block 136 and is connected by a coupling 15f; to a driven shaft 152. A nut or collar 143 is pinned to shaft 146 to prevent axial movement of the shaft.

The means used to selectively rotate shaft 152 and move wedge 124 to its desired location comprise a reversible gear motor 161) connected through a chain 158 to a sprocket 156 keyed to the right hand end of shaft 152. Thus, it can be seen that energization of motor 160 will cause threaded rod 138 to be rotated thus driving wedge 124 to the left or right depending on the direction of rotation.

Means are provided to permit the degree of movement imparted to abutment member 126 to be determined. AS shown in FIGURE 4, these means comprise a counter 176. The input shaft 174 of the counter is connected through the universal joints 172 and 168 and shaft 179 to the output shaft 166 of an angle gear drive shaft 164. As shown in FIGURE 5, a sprocket 154 carried on the right end of shaft 152 is connected by a chain 160 to the input shaft of the angle gear drive 164. In this manner, the number of revolutions made by shaft 138 to move wedge 124 and adjust the position of abutment member 126 is recorded by counter 176. Thus, by knowing the lead of the threads on shaft or threaded rod 138 and the angle of the wedge surfaces, it is possible to determine the amount of change that takes place in the position of abutment member 126 for each count of counter 176. This permits the upper limit of the stroke of piston 91) and plunger 93 to be readily changed to a new position. Although the drive for counter 176 has been described as causing one count for each revolution of shaft 138, it is apparent that by varying sprocket sizes, etc. the counter could be made to record one count for any number of revolutions of shaft 138.

The invention has been described in great detail sufficient to enable one skilled in the art of presses to duplicate the invention. Obviously, modifications and alterations of the preferred described will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of this specification and it is my intention to include all such modifications and alterations as part of my invention insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a press for forming metal and having:

a frame,

a ram carried by said frame and reciprocable between a first and a second position,

a die positioned on said frame and cooperable with said ram to form a metal workpiece to a desired configuration, and

a fluid pressure actuated lift-out piston carried by said frame and having a stroke between a first and a second position for removing a formed workpiece from said die,

the improvement comprising: means for adjusting the length of the stroke of said lift-out piston to vary its movement relative to said die, said adjusting means including an abutment member positioned between said piston and said die and means for selectively moving said abutment member toward and away from said die member.

2. The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein said movable abutment member is biased toward said die.

3. The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein said movable abutment member has a first wedge surface and said means for selectively moving said member toward and away from said die includes a member having a second wedge surface.

4. The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein said movable abutment member comprises a first wedgeshaped member constrained for movement along a line parallel with said stroke of said lift-out piston, and wherein means are provided for biasing said wedge-shaped member toward said die.

5. The improvement as defined in claim 4 wherein the means selectively moving said first wedge-shaped member comprises a Second wedge-shaped member and means for driving said second wedge-shaped member along a line generally perpendicular to said stroke of said lift-out piston.

6. The improvement as defined in claim 5 wherein the means for driving said second wedge-shaped member comprises a rotatable rod and means for rotating said rod.

7. The improvement as defined in claim 5 including means for indicating the amount said first wedge-shaped member has been selectively moved.

8. A press for forming metal comprising:

a frame;

a ram carried by said frame and movable between a first position and a second position;

means for moving said ram from said first to said second position;

a die carried by said frame and positioned for cooperating wtih said ram for forming a workpiece to a desired configuration when said ram is moved from said first to said second position;

a feed dial positioned between said ram and said die and rotatable in a first direction for delivering said workpiece to said die when said ram is moved from said second to said first position;

means interconnecting said feed dial and said means for moving said ram for rotating said feed dial in timed relation with the movement of said ram; said interconnecting means including a slide member positioned adjacent said dial and reciprocable along a line between said first and second positions, a first pawl means carried by said slide member for rotating said dial in said first direction when said slide member moves from said first to said second position, a second pawl means for preventing movement of said dial in said first direction, and lever means interconnecting said slide member and said second pawl means for moving said second pawl means to a position permitting movement of said dial in said first direction when said slide member is in its first position; and a lift-out piston carried by said frame and having a stroke between a first and second position for removing the workpiece from said die and delivering it to said feed dial when said ram is moved to its second position; said lift-out piston including means for adjusting the length of the stroke of said piston, said adjusting means comprising an abutment surface positioned between said die and said piston and means for selectively moving said surface toward and away from said die member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 427,435 5/1890 Manville 72405 X 1,792,051 2/ 1931 Valentine 72405 X 1,892,168 12/1932 Siegel 72405 X 2,187,479 1/1940 Zwierlein 72427 2,282,959 5/1942 Gibbs 72405 X 2,329,325 9/1943 Berry 72427 X 2,374,464 4/1945 Skirba et a1 72421 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner E. SUTTON, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 72405 

